Sven-Goran Eriksson named 17-year-old Theo Walcott in his provisional England World Cup squad on this day in 2006, despite the forward not having played in the Premier League for Arsenal.

Walcott became England’s youngest international when he played in a pre-tournament friendly against Hungary.

But he did not make an appearance at the tournament as England reached the quarter-finals but lost to Portugal after Wayne Rooney’s red card.

Walcott was no stranger to making history at a tender age. He had become Southampton’s youngest ever player when he featured in a 0-0 Championship draw at home to Wolves aged 16 and 143 days, then became their youngest goalscorer with a strike in a 2-1 defeat to Leeds two months later.

His early promise persuaded Arsenal to sign him for an initial £5million, potentially rising to £12m, in January 2006, but he had been kept waiting for his first-team chance before Eriksson came calling in the summer.

Walcott got the news of his selection from his dad, and later said: “I thought he was having me on. I was shocked and surprised as everyone was; my eyes were just popping out of my head.”

Eriksson admitted at the time the selection was “a gamble” but he felt Walcott’s pace could offer England a wild card option.

But the Swede later admitted he did not help Walcott when saying the player had never quite reached the levels expected of him.

“Maybe the expectations on him were too high, and maybe I didn’t help him there,” Eriksson told OLBG last year.

Walcott went on to earn 47 England caps, but agreed his first call-up came too soon.

“I was thrown into the limelight straight away having not even played a Premier League game,” he said.

“Suddenly you are surrounded by these top-quality players and you are thinking ‘do I deserve to be here?’”

George Russell said he is not in Formula One for the show after taking aim at the pre-race razzmatazz put on by the sport’s bosses for the Miami Grand Prix.

In a break from convention, the grid’s 20 drivers were individually introduced to the crowd by American rapper LL Cool J as will.i.am conducted an orchestra.

It is understood the pre-race show seen in Miami will only take place at certain events, possibly eight this season.

But Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said: “It is distracting. I’m here to race, I’m not here for the show, I’m here to drive and I’m here to win.

“We’re on the grid for half an hour in all of our overalls in the sun. I don’t think there’s any other sport in the world that 30 minutes before you go out to do your do your business, that you’re out there in the sun, with all the cameras on you, making a show of it.

“I appreciate that we are in the entertainment world and we only want the best for the sport. We’re open to changes. I guess we have to roll with it.”

Russell drove well to finish fourth as Max Verstappen won from ninth on the grid to extend his lead in the championship to 14 points over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.

Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton started 13th, but a late comeback saw him take the chequered flag in sixth.

Mercedes are due to bring an upgrade to the next round in Imola on May 21 which the team hopes will propel them forward.

However, Hamilton said: “It is not like I have a second upgrade coming, which is what I need.

“But it’s something and it’s a step in the right direction for us to really be able to progress.”

Wyndham Clark overcame the swift loss of his overnight lead to claim his first PGA Tour title in the Wells Fargo Championship.

Clark’s two-shot advantage was wiped out in the first three holes and the 29-year-old American found himself a shot behind playing partner Xander Schauffele after seven holes of the final round at Quail Hollow.

However, Clark responded superbly to birdie five of the next eight and with Schauffele stumbling around the turn, the win became something of a formality.

A closing 68 gave Clark a winning total of 19 under par and four-shot victory over Schauffele, with England’s Tyrrell Hatton and American Harris English three strokes further back in third.

Tommy Fleetwood and former world number one Adam Scott finished in a tie for fifth on 11 under.

“Gosh, sorry, I’m a little choked up,” Clark told CBS after joining the likes of Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Max Homa in making the Wells Fargo Championship their maiden PGA Tour title.

“It’s been a long five years to get to this point on Tour and I thought I would have had one earlier, but it’s well worth the wait and I’m so grateful.

“There’s so much that goes into this and there’s so many times I wanted to cry and break clubs – and I did break the club sometimes – in this journey and to get to this point is so sweet.

“It’s just amazing to finally do this.

“I didn’t start out great, I was kind of shaky and I think in years past I might have folded. This time I just stayed patient and hung in there and got hot on the back side.”

Max Verstappen hailed his victory at the Miami Grand Prix as “simply f****** lovely” after he beat Sergio Perez and the boo brigade to extend his world championship lead.

Verstappen was jeered before and after the race, as he celebrated a triumph that moves him 14 points clear of team-mate Perez, who finished second.

Fernando Alonso was third for Aston Martin. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and sixth for Mercedes.

Verstappen divides opinion in the sport and he was targeted by the Hard Rock Stadium crowd as he was presented on the grid ahead of the 57-lap race by rapper LL Cool J.

But the boos did not faze the double world champion as he raced from ninth on the grid to top spot to claim his third win from five rounds.

“Simply f****** lovely,” said Verstappen on the radio before he was also jeered on the podium as he collected his winner’s trophy.

Verstappen added: “It was a good race. I stayed out of trouble in the beginning. I had a good battle with Checo and we kept it clean and that was the most important thing. A great win today.

“Yesterday was a setback in qualifying but today we kept it calm and clean and winning a race from ninth is always very satisfying.”

Verstappen, who started on a different strategy to team-mate and pole-sitter Perez, was up to second on lap 15. He stopped for tyres with a dozen laps to go and then cruised into the lead by out-braking Perez at the opening corner on lap 48.

Perez said: “I gave it my all. The first stint was poor and that compromised my race.

“Max was particularly good today so a well-deserved win for him. We need to analyse what happened today because I didn’t have the pace.”

Max Verstappen overcame the boo brigade and Sergio Perez to win the Miami Grand Prix and extend his world championship lead.

Verstappen was subjected to a chorus of jeers by the 90,000-strong crowd at the Hard Rock Stadium as the sport’s drivers were introduced by rapper LL Cool J for Sunday’s 57-lap race.

But the double world champion put his poor reception to one side by racing from ninth on the grid to pass Perez with nine laps remaining and take his third win from five rounds.

Verstappen increased his championship lead from six points to 14.

Fernando Alonso completed the podium places with George Russell fourth. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth after starting 13th.

Sunday’s race marked the first of three to be staged in the United States this season, with Austin’s grand prix at the Circuit of the Americas and a debut event on the Las Vegas strip to follow later in the year.

And the event here in the Sunshine State was sprinkled with stardust for a show-stopping pre-race grid.

Actor Vin Diesel, singer Shakira, influencer-boxer Jake Paul, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Roger Federer – with 50 tennis Grand Slam titles between them – watched on as will.i.am conducted an orchestra and LL Cool J assumed his role as Master of Ceremonies. Only in America.

On came the 20 drivers and the biggest cheers were reserved for Hamilton, Alonso and Perez, backed by a large contingent of Mexican fans. But Verstappen, last on to the stage, was booed.

Verstappen, by now in the sanctuary of his flying Red Bull machine, had moved up to eighth at the end of lap one, as pole-sitter Perez held off Alonso on the charge to the opening corner.

Verstappen then blasted his way past Charles Leclerc and Kevin Magnussen in his DRS-assisted Red Bull to take sixth at the start of lap four.

Further behind, Hamilton appeared in trouble after making light contact with Nico Hulkenberg at the first corner.

“I don’t know if we are going to last in this race,” he said, fearing his front wing was broken.

Up front, Verstappen was still on the move.

On lap eight he passed Russell under braking at Turn 17 for fifth place, which became fourth the next time round following a carbon-copy move on Pierre Gasly.

Verstappen sped past Carlos Sainz on lap 14 at Turn 11 and then Alonso on lap 15 to take second place with team-mate Perez 3.7 sec up the road.

In came Perez on lap 20 for fresh rubber with a 1.2 sec lead over Verstappen. The Dutchman, who started on the harder, more durable rubber stayed out.

Despite his earlier worries, Hamilton was able to continue but he was failing to make headway and on lap 32 he was ushered aside for team-mate Russell.

Hamilton, on a different strategy after starting seven places behind his team-mate, resisted at first before allowing his team-mate through.

“Thank you very much,” said Russell over the radio. “Very much appreciated.” Hamilton made his sole tyre stop on lap 37, dropping back to 13th.

Russell did not appear fazed in a machine team principal Toto Wolff described as “a nasty piece of work”, and on lap 39 he was up to fourth after fighting his way past Sainz.

“That is how we roll,” said the celebrating Briton.

Verstappen finally stopped for new tyres on lap 45 and he emerged from the pits just 1.2 sec behind Perez.

Verstappen was soon all over Perez’s Red Bull gearbox and he made his first move at Turn 17 only for his team-mate to defend the left hander.

But Perez’s defence made him vulnerable on the main straight with Verstappen jinking to his team-mate’s left and making the move stick at the first corner on lap 48.

Verstappen crossed the line 5.3 sec clear of Perez.

Hamilton, like Verstappen, started on the more durable hard rubber and the strategy also worked for the seven-time world champion as he made up a number of positions in the closing stages – including the scalp of Leclerc with two laps to run – to salvage sixth.

Michael van Gerwen claimed his first European Tour title in a year after winning the Belgian Open.

Van Gerwen, who was a beaten finalist in Germany last month, overcame Luke Humphries 8-6 in the final to enter the winners’ circle for the first time since winning the European Darts Open in May 2022.

Humphries finished with a higher average and threw more 180s than Van Gerwen, but it was the Dutchman who prevailed thanks to his finishing prowess, which included a 129 checkout in the decisive 11th leg.

Van Gerwen, who now moves up to number two in the world behind Michael Smith, had earlier beaten Gary Anderson before gaining semi-final revenge on Josh Rock, the Northern Irish youngster who beat him in Leeuwarden last week.

It was a second successive final defeat for Humphries, top seed in this tournament, following his defeat to Dave Chisnall in Holland seven days ago.

The 28-year-old almost made darting perfection in the seventh leg but missed double 12 on his attempt at a nine-dart finish and then had to watch Van Gerwen lift the trophy.

Carlos Alcaraz is primed to become world number one once again after defending his Madrid Open title.

The Spaniard, who turned 20 on Saturday, beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 3-6 6-3 to complete the Spanish double for the second successive year following his victory in Barcelona a fortnight ago.

Success in the capital means he will return to the summit of the rankings, displacing Novak Djokovic, if he plays the next ATP Tour event in Rome.

Alcaraz’s latest win came amid the news Rafael Nadal will miss the Italian Open as he continues to recover from a hip injury, and with Djokovic also nursing an elbow problem he is rapidly establishing himself as the French Open favourite.

German Struff became the first lucky loser to reach the final at a Masters 1000 event and gave Alcaraz a tough match, having taken the second set to force a decider.

But Alcaraz was too good and came through to defend his title on home clay.

“For me it is so, so special,” Alcaraz said on the ATP Tour website. “To lift the trophy here in Madrid. In my country. It is always special to play and to be able to do a good result here and (being) a champion is so special.

“In front of my home crowd, my family, my friends. Everyone close to me. For me it is a special feeling that I will never forget.

“It was a really tough match. Jan was playing great, really aggressive. In the second set I had a lot of chances to break his serve and I didn’t take it and it was tough for me to lose it.

“I told myself that I had to be positive all the time and that I would have my chances and I think I did it in the third set.”

Michael Beale described Rangers as the “most wasteful team” he has ever seen after Sunday’s 1-0 home win over Aberdeen.

On the day that Celtic retained the cinch Premiership title with a 2-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle, midfielder Todd Cantwell gave the Ibrox fans something to cheer about in the 65th minute with his fine volley from a James Tavernier corner.

Rangers had an experimental look to their side, partly due to injuries, but the Gers boss returned to a familiar theme as he bemoaned missed chances throughout the game.

“We had some good moments with the ball all day,” said the former QPR boss, who revealed defender Ben Davies came off with a hamstring problem which could make him a doubt for next week’s game against Celtic.

“Sometimes I feel that we are the most wasteful team in the final third that I have ever seen. We created unbelievable chances and didn’t take them.

“We suddenly face two 80-yard dashes to our own goal. On another day we could find ourselves behind.

“In the first 15 minutes of the second half we missed more unbelievable chances, and when the balls hit the bar I thought it wasn’t going to be our day.

“I know it was their player who got the last touch (when Aberdeen captain Jonny Hayes inadvertently smashed a Rabbi Matondo cut-back against his own crossbar) but we have two or three players there.

“It is not unlucky when we are missing these chances. After a while it has to be poor play or poor final pass, movement, decision-making.

“It has happened in every single day since I came back to the club – we have missed incredible chances.”

Asked if the current squad could provide answers or if new attackers were required, Beale appeared unhappy with the contribution of substitute Alfredo Morelos, who is leaving at the end of the season.

The Colombia striker came off the bench with Scott Arfield, Glen Kamara and Scott Wright just after Cantwell’s goal.

Beale said: “I think you saw a difference when Alfredo came on in terms of energy but not a positive difference as well.

“I think we will need a focal point for the team, for sure.

“Antonio Colak is not fit at the moment and Alfredo is obviously going to be moving on.

“Fashion (Sakala) and Rabbi (Matondo) gave us a different type of front line and it was also nice to see Ianis Hagi get some minutes.

“Throughout the game we had some passages of really good play but we have to be more decisive if we want to feel at ease at the end of the game.”

It was a first defeat in eight for Aberdeen, who remain in third place, five points ahead of Hearts.

Manager Barry Robson revealed that Ross McCrorie, twin brother of Rangers goalkeeper Robby, missed the game with a hernia injury, saying: “He had surgery, we hope to have him back pretty quick.”

Robson was also unhappy with his side’s finishing, especially the two chances Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes  missed in the first half – a shot saved by McCrorie before he chipped the ball over the bar when again he only had the Gers keeper to beat.

He said: “First half we should have scored a couple of goals. We had two brilliant chances to get a couple of goals up on Rangers.

“You need to take them wherever you are, not just coming here. But it’s probably more important to take them here.

“You have those two unbelievable chances in the first half – they don’t come much better than one-on-one chances.”

Robson also complained about a first-half incident when Gers defender Connor Goldson tangled with Duk at the edge of the box, with referee John Beaton awarding only a corner.

He said: “And then obviously the first half, is it a penalty or a free-kick outside as well? I don’t know.

“It was one or the other. Where was VAR? Anyone see it? Where was it? I don’t know. Was it in the building today? I am being serious.”

Celtic captain Callum McGregor believes his team can continue to improve after retaining the cinch Premiership title in style.

The Hoops wrapped up their 11th title in 12 years with four games remaining thanks to a 2-0 victory over Hearts at Tynecastle.

The champions have only lost once in the league, against St Mirren in September, and can set a top-flight points record of 107 if they win their remaining matches.

Midfielder McGregor told Sky Sports: “I think there’s the makings of a really special team.

“You see when the going gets tough you have to fight the game out a little bit, like we had to do first half. So we have got that side of it, which you need to have if you want to be champions.

“And you see at the end there with the quality we could probably score another two or three goals.”

When asked if they could get even better, the 29-year-old said: “We are certainly on the right track but we have to keep on working.

“You can see it, you can see it – a lot of young players. You get over the line and you get more experience. You want to do it again the following season and you want to do it in a better style.

“I believe we have done that this season and there is always more to come.”

McGregor has won four out of five domestic trophies so far as skipper and can lead the team to the treble when they face Championship side Inverness in the Scottish Cup final on June 3.

“It’s a dream come true for me, it’s such a privilege, every day that I come into my work and represent this club, represent these guys,” he said. “It’s an absolute pleasure.

“At the start of the season this is always what the club wants, it demands success. Over a period of 38 games you have to be the best team and the best team will win the league.

“I’m so happy for the players, the staff, the supporters, everybody connected with the club. A really special day again.”

Miami Grand Prix bosses are in talks with Formula One about staging the race at night.

The event which runs round the Hard Rock Stadium – home of NFL’s Miami Dolphins – joined the calendar last season on a 10-year deal.

Sunday’s race is the first of three to be staged in the United States this year, with a debut event on the Las Vegas strip in November, while Austin’s grand prix at the Circuit of the Americas has been a permanent fixture on the F1 schedule since 2012.

The round in Vegas will take place under lights, and Miami Dolphins chief executive Tom Garfinkel revealed on Sunday that his race could transform to a night event.

“We have had some discussions about a night race and potentially doing that and what it would look like,” said Garfinkel.

“There are a lot of factors that go into that with F1 and television so we have to weigh all those things up, but we are certainly open-minded.”

The race in Florida is set to be sprinkled with stardust. Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, actor Vin Diesel, singer Shakira, former Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero, influencer-boxer Jake Paul, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, and tennis greats Serena Williams and Roger Federer are just some of the names on Sunday’s glitzy guestlist.

“The celebrity attendance is pretty remarkable,” added Garfinkel. “It shows the relevance of Formula One and how popular the sport is right now.

“The sort of wealth, CEO and celebrity factor, is like nothing I have ever seen at another sporting event.”

Jonathan Milan won stage two of the Giro d’Italia in a reduced sprint after a late crash ruled out Mark Cavendish and cost Tao Geoghegan Hart valuable time in the general classification.

This flat stage would have been one of the ones circled by Cavendish as he seeks his first win for Astana-Qazaqstan, but the Manxman hit the deck in the aftermath of a collision just under four kilometres from the line that left several riders counting the cost.

Chief among them was 2020 Giro winner Geoghegan Hart, with the Londoner held up to concede 19 seconds and fall from fourth to eighth overall, now 59 seconds behind leader Remco Evenepoel.

Amid the chaos, the 22-year-old Milan came around Kaden Groves to win comfortably from David Dekker on the seafront in San Salvo, taking his first Grand Tour stage win and doing it in his home race at the first attempt.

Evenepoel stayed safe in the pink jersey and retains his 22-second lead over Filippo Ganna at the end of the 202km stage from Teramo. Joao Almeida remains third at 29 seconds down, but Geoghegan Hart is now four seconds behind Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Geraint Thomas, who managed to avoid the trouble.

So much focus had been on a tight roundabout just before the final straight, but before that even came into view several riders went down on a narrow section of road.

Pascal Ackermann appeared to be pushed to his right and into the path of the Trek-Segafredo lead-out train with inevitable results.

Cavendish was behind the initial incident but was then struck from behind as riders struggled to slow, although his team was quick to say he was unhurt.

In his podium interview, Evenepoel was pointed in his remarks on the stage-defining incident.

“We were in front so we were out of trouble, but of course it was a pretty nasty crash,” the Soudal-QuickStep rider said. “I think I actually saw it happen and we know who we can blame for the crash but that’s racing. It wasn’t a nice move but luckily we stayed out of trouble and arrived safely.”

While the recriminations began, Bahrain-Victorious rider Milan celebrated a breakthrough moment.

“I am without words,” the Italian said. “I cannot believe it. My first Giro, the second stage. Yesterday I did a nice time trial, I was quite happy with my result and I was pushing good but I could never imagine that today a victory was coming.”

Although Cavendish was out of the running, there was one Brit in the top 10 as Jake Stewart sprinted to ninth for Groupama-FDJ.

The race continues with a 213km stage from Vasto to Melfi on Monday.

Poland’s Adrian Meronk breathed a sigh of relief after winning the DS Automobiles Open to boost his chances of securing a Ryder Cup debut.

Meronk held his nerve on the closing stretch to withstand the challenge of French pair Romain Langasque and Julien Guerrier at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, which will host the Ryder Cup later this year.

Two birdies in the last three holes gave Meronk a final round of 69 and winning total of 13 under par, with Langasque a shot behind and 54-hole leader Guerrier another two strokes back.

“It’s such a relief to be honest,” Meronk told Sky Sports after claiming his third DP World Tour title.

“It was a tough day today. I didn’t play as good as previous days off the tee and tee to green so had to scramble a little bit, but super happy to come out on top and very proud of myself.”

Meronk’s victory lifted him to fifth in the European Points List and within 100 points of an automatic qualifying place for Luke Donald’s team as he bids to become the first Polish player to feature in the Ryder Cup.

“I think it’s a solid statement, a solid brick into the wall but it’s not over yet, I know that,” Meronk said.

“It’s still a lot of time but I’m super excited. It’s one of my big goals this year and it would mean a lot to me. I will keep pushing, keep doing what I can to get on that team but I think (today) should help a little bit.”

Guerrier took a one-shot lead into the final round but bogeyed the first two holes as Meronk and Langasque emerged as the most likely winners on a testing day.

Meronk gained a crucial advantage with his fifth birdie of the day on the short 16th before holing from 15 feet for par on the next as Langasque fell two behind with a bogey on 16.

Langasque bounced back superbly by chipping in for birdie on the 17th but, in the group ahead, Meronk two-putted from 75 feet for a closing birdie to effectively seal the win.

Lewis Hamilton has been warned by former rival Felipe Massa that it will be a gamble to leave Mercedes.

Hamilton’s contract with the Silver Arrows is up for renewal at the end of the year.

It is expected that the 38-year-old will extend his stay with the team which has carried him to six of his record-equalling seven world championships.

However, Mercedes’ indifferent start to the new campaign has led some to question as to whether Hamilton could shop around, with Ferrari a possible destination.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s race at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, team principal Toto Wolff described Hamilton’s unruly Mercedes as “a nasty piece of work”.

But Massa, who was at the Italian team for eight seasons and lost out to Hamilton by a single championship point in 2008, said: “Anything is possible, but I have doubts that it will happen.

“The relationship Lewis has with Mercedes is strong and to change that for Ferrari he would need to be sure what he is going to get.

“Ferrari have not proved they have the car to win the championship. Going there would be a bit of a gamble. If he cannot go to Red Bull, which is impossible with Max [Verstappen] there, I would stay at Mercedes.”

Hamilton will be 39 in January but the Briton appears determined to win a record eighth title.

In Miami, he even raised the prospect of racing into his fifties.

Massa, 42, who retired from the sport in 2017, said: “When I go to run I suffer more than when I was 30 or 25.

“The age will come to Lewis but he still has some years in front of him and you see what Fernando [Alonso, 41] is doing at Aston Martin. Lewis just doesn’t have the car, but maybe that will change.”